The exploits of former Newcastle United starlet Paul Gascoigne at the World Cup, Italia 90, sparked a new phenomenon, Gazzamania, as the Dunston-born Spurs star found himself on the front pages of the tabloid papers as often as the back pages.

In 1992, Kevin Keegan made a shock return to football as the rookie manager of Newcastle United.

The Toon were in crisis on and off the pitch and in danger of dropping into the third division for the first time in the club’s history.

King Kev would famously save the day, and within a few years the Magpies were battling for the Premier League title, breaking the world transfer record by signing Alan Shearer for £15m, and beating Barcelona in the Champions League.

There were also two FA Cup finals - both sadly lost - in 1998 and 1999, and a return to his native North East for Bobby Robson as manager of the Toon as the decade drew to a close.

Away from football, 1991 saw major disaffection at large as riots broke out in Newcastle and North Tyneside, mirroring events across Britain.

In 1993, the Tall Ships Race majestically sailed into the River Tyne.

In pop music, if this was the decade of Britpop and the Spice Girls, the opening of Newcastle Arena in 1995 gave the region a venue large enough to attract the biggest acts and events.

Meanwhile, by the middle of the decade two young Newcastle entertainers - Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - were gaining quite a name for themselves and were well on the way to world domination!

And in 1999, Newcastle and the North East stood still momentarily under the shadow of a total eclipse of the sun.

Finally, on New Year’s Eve as the new millennium was about to dawn, thousands hit the Quayside as the Tyne Bridge was lit up by a spectacular fireworks display and, in the words of pop singer Prince, they were ready “to party like it’s 1999”.